Composite tinsel strand



Nov. 26, 1935. s, BRADFORD, JR 2,022,025

COMPOSITE TINSEL I STRAND Filed Nov. 2'7, 1933 INVENTOR ZbwA/wdffimwfofio J5. BY I TTORNEYS Patented Nov. 26, 1935 UNITED STATESPATENT QFFI -CI-E signor to Springfield Wire &'Tinsel'Co.', WestSpringfield, Mass.,- a corporation of- Massa-- chuS'ettS ApplicationNovember 2'7, 1933, Serial No. 699 ,808.

(Cli 117-52) 9Glaims.

Thisinvention consists in an improved species of compositeall-metal-strand/made of tinsel-wire. The particular species-hereindescribed has certain advantages over otherforms of composite strandswhenused-for tinsel decorative purposes, for scouring utensilsand othercommercial purposes, aswill'be pointed out.

The improvedstrand can be made economical- 1y on an ordinary tinselcovering: machine well known inthe tinselart, by a-simple addition tosuch machine. For an-understandingof a the invention reference maybehadto the accompanying drawing.

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view, partly insection, through'a tinselcovering machine, showing a well: known type'of machine except for theaddition of a curling edge operable on the core wire and to whichreference will be made;

and r Fig. 2 -is a view of the composite strand made on the machine ofFig. 1 but releasediromall tension.

Inmaking myproduct, the covering: machine operates as follows Flattenedtinsel wire-l (which is the core wire)- is drawn fromsupply spoolcthrough tension fingers b, over thestationary curling edge (small wireor knife blade) c;-where it is given-a tendency to spring intoa helicalcoilwhen released fromtension. But it-iskept under tension in themachine asit-passes through the hollowspindle d to the-rotating capstane. The latter actsto maintain the tension, and draw the core wire fromthe'supply spoolthroughthe machine. As thewire I passes beyond-thespindle d the rotating flyer 1' serves a second fiat tenedtinsel wireZ-aboutthe wire I This second-wire is applied in the shapeofloose-coils, whichisa well understood'operating step; The compositestrand-consisting of tensioned core- I cove-redwith'closely'spaced butloosely-riding or suspended coils 3 '(the diameter of 'whichis greaterthan any cross-dimension ofthe core) is passed once or twice aroundrotating 'capstan-e and then to spool g which is the'wind-up spool.

The latter winds up the strand'with a'windup tension in theordinary-way. Such tension is sufiicient to keep the tensionon the corewire from-being released enough to-permit coils in' the core.

The opera-tion-of'the covering machine is'just the same as ordinarilycarried on in'the tinsel business except for the action of the curlingedge on the core wire; Such action-on a flattened wire (but not on.a-core' wire as a preparation step for applying covering coils)is-wellknown and fully described forexample in the; patent to Wolle No.1,689,093,0ctober 23-, 1928.. It is to give the wire an inherenttendency to spring-into a-helical coil'when'releasedvfrom tensions Butin combining this operation in my covering machine, I spool thecomposite strand-so; that such spring actionin forming coilsdoes-nottakeplace until the spooling tension is-released.

When the spooling tensionis released and the core leftfree oftension thecomposite'strand takes the generalform of: Fig. -2.- I-t-w-ill be notedthat in this figurethe-core forms ahelicalcoil of larger diameter thanthe coil loosely; wound or suspended on the core. Each helical coil ofthe corehas-suspendedalong its length a plurality of coils of the loosecoveringwire: Thelatter are arrangedon the core that'is coiled,.somewhatdiiierently than they would be on the same core if not coiled. Thecovering. coils are loose on their core but not looseenough-to-escapetaking the coiled form of the core. That-is-tosay the loosecoveringfilament has-two forms ofcoil. One series ofcoils: about the core-as acovering materialand thecoveringa material as a coiled strand is againcoiled on alongerpitch aboutthe imaginary axis of the core coils. This fact' is particularly useful when, l as here, the covering coilsareloosepbecausebeing loose their interaction-with the core isrsuch asto throw their scraping edges out in'a greater varietyof positions thanis customary with a composite strand having anuncoiled-core and thisvariety gives-"a better abrasive effect;-

In my use of the productI-"find' it an advantage in manufacture totakethe'composite strand in-spooled- (core tensionedform) to machinesfor making up scouring utensils. For example, the spool is used to feeda-skeinwinding-mm chine. Handfuls ofthe material are wound-from thespool in skein 'formp Then the strand is-released and the skein takesa-"'pufiy; springy, tangled form in-which both the core" and the coilsof the covering wire help to retain the utensil forrrr-when pulledoutand releasedin use. Withthe particular species herein described having=adefinite helical curl-in'the compcsi-te strand'over each inch of itslength, the

material is mucheasier to handle without too much 'tangling, since suchcurls bring the strand machine, They have been made of coils withtextilecores, and I have before made them of coils with metal corethreads.

The particular species herein described has the advantage of a longpitch in the core and a rela tively short pitch in the loose coveringwire so that many coils of the latter are carried by each single coil ofthe core. It is desirable to distinguish between a core that is coiledmerely for Winding into skein form, for example, and one that is coiledfor my purpose of making this species of coiled composite strand. Mystrand has an inherent tendency to lie in helically coiled form due tothe character of the core, regardless of whether it is wound in skeinform or merely jumbled together and the loosely suspended coils are thuscarried or have the tendency to be carried by the core into anarrangement that follows the core in its helical form. The compositestrand has a definite curl of helical form in each of its length. Suchmaterial has a better tendency to return to its, original form afterstretching and use than other forms which may tangle too much and notmaintain enough composite strand spring in the uses to which they areput.

In determining the pitch of the core coils there are the followingfactors to consider in the manufacture: the angle a (see Fig. 1) atwhich the core wire is drawn over the curling edge in part determinesthe pitch (the sharper the angle the smaller the pitch), the degree oftension (the more tension the smaller the pitch); the character andthickness of the metal used are also factors. These things being known,it is easy to get a setting for angle a that will give the pitch desiredforthe core. 7

In the species of composite strand I have described, the pitch of thecore strand should be long enough for carrying in each turn of the coremany covering turns of the loosely wound covering coils.

The composite tinsel strand of this invention is usually used in makingup bunches, for example such as shown in my previous Patent 1,864,579,dated June 28, 1932. In such use it will be apparent that the tinselmaterial of the composite strand cannot maintain the shape as shown inFig. 2. But the functions planned in making the composite strand in suchshape originally are to a very substantial extent retained in thebunched form of the article. It is true that the tinsel material will bedistorted when the strands are bunched in the article, but the inherenttendency to the original form of composite strand will still be thereacting to give the puffy, springy resiliency to the bunch to a markeddegree. The long curls in the composite strand when bunched may bepushed into wavy form rather than true helical form. This wavy form ofthe composite strand will give the effect in the bunch. In other words,the form of the composite strand curled as I have described, and thenplaced in bunched or skeined form as a final product, will keep the ballpuffed out and resilient for the use of the tinsel in an improvedmanner. The curls of the strand in the bunch are more nearly in helicalform on account of their original condition and tendency to spring backto such condition than in any other form that can be readily understood.The description of the strand in its original form is intended toinclude the same strand as distorted in bunched condition asequivalents. Of course my composite strand when used for drap ing anddecorative purposes will not be distorted to the same extent as whenbunched. And the strand claimed is used both as shown in Fig. 2 and inthe bunched condition that I have described in connection with myscouring utensil patent. And it can be used in other advanta- 5 geousWays with improved results where a puffy, curly, tinsel strand is wantedfor the functions I have pointed out.

I claim:

1. A composite all-metal strand of tinsel material comprising aflattened tinsel wire made with many small coils per inch of length, acore filament of springy metal lying inside said coils and having aninherent tendency to assume a helically coiled form when free oftension, the diameter of said helical form being too large to lie insidethe diameter of the core covering coils but being small enough to imposea distinct helical curl in each inch of length for the composite wire. pA V 2. A composite all-metal strand of tinsel mai terial comprising incombination a core wire and a covering wire wound loosely around thecore, the composite strand as a whole having a tendency to curl intohelical form Whenever released from tension, the diameter and pitch ofsaid helical form each being small enough to impose a curly nature tothe composite strand as a whole over each inch or two of its length.

3. A composite all-metal strand of tinsel wire comprising in combinationa core wire and a covering wire wrapped in loose formation about thecore, said core being of springy metal and arranged in helically coiledform of considerably larger diameter than its wrapping but of shortenough pitch to make distinct curls in the whole composite strand overeach short distance of its length.

4. A composite strand made up of a spring metal core filament, a loosewrapping of flattened 4O tinsel serving as an openwork covering for thecore, said wrapping and core in composite strand form being arrangedwith substantial curls in said form throughout its length, said curlsbeing close enough together to insure a substantial recoiling action foreach inch of the composite strand in its use. 7

5. A composite tinsel strand arranged as a whole in curls throughout itslength, said curls being close enough together to give a substantialstretching and recoiling action in each inch of the length, said strandcomprising a spring metal filament core and a flattened wire tinselwrapping about the core of much less diameter than the curls of thecomposite strand, said wrapping being mounted so loosely on the corethat its successive and adjacent turns may present a great variety inthe arrangement of fiat tinsel curls suspended on the core, whereby thecore gives the functions of strength, stretching and recoiling actionsto the composite strand and the loose wrapping gives the functions offlattened tinsel curls to the composite strand when used in the waysdescribed.

6. A composite metallic material, comprising a carrier member of springymetal adapted to form a plurality of comparatively large, irregular, andelastically connected convolute loops, a strand of comparativelyinelastic metallic material helically gimped about and along the'carrlermember loops, the helices of said gimped material being relativelysmall, whereby a multiplicity thereof extend along the circuit of andcover each comparatively large convolute loop of said carrier member.

7. A composite metallic material, comprising a carrier member of springymetal adapted to form a plurality of comparatively large, irregular andelastically connected convolute loops, and a strand of flatribbon-like'relatively soft metallic wire helically gimped about andalong the carrier member loops, the helices of saidegimped ribbon-likeWire being relatively small, whereby a multiplicity thereof extend alongthe circuit of and cover each comparatively large convolute loop of saidcarrier member.

8. A composite metallic material, comprising a carrier member of springymetal adapted to form a mass of comparatively large convolute loopscontracted by their inherent elasticity into a coherent mass of more orless interlaced and compacted convolutio-ns, and a strand ofcomparatively inelastic metallic material helically wound about andalong the carrier member loops, the helices of said gimped materialbeing relatively very small as compared with said carrier member loops,whereby a multiplicity of the former extend along the circuits of andcover the latter.

9. A composite metallic material as defined in claim 8, wherein theinelastic metallic material comprises fiat ribbon-like comparativelysoft copper wire.

EDWARD S. BRADFORD, JR.

